A twine cutting apparatus for a bale processor has a guide extending along a length of a floor of the bale chamber, and a knife engaged in the guide and configured such that the knife can slide along the length of the drum and such that a cutting edge of the knife contacts twine wrapped around an outer surface of the drum. A rigid handle is attached at a knife end thereof to the knife and is configured to be gripped by an operator at a grip end thereof outside the bale chamber. A twine access area can be provided on the drum surface to facilitate cutting twine, and the apparatus can be stored inside the bale chamber during operation of the bale processor.